


Terry's missing moments and ficlets

by Starliam



Category: Ocean's Eleven Trilogy (Movies)
Genre: EVERYONE - Freeform, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:42:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24081502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starliam/pseuds/Starliam
Summary: A collection of short stories in which Terry Benedict is the main character.Everyone else will appear, and every chapter is not going to be connect to the others.
Comments: 21
Kudos: 19





	1. A meeting with enemies or friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A "missing moment" from Ocean's 13.

Incredibly, Terry felt comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time.  
While Ocean and the others were talking about the updates on the plan, he was sitting there, listening, and enjoying their playful banters. At the same time, he felt left out. He almost joined to make a couple of jokes, like when Linus was talking about Sponder being a "cougar". He would have never admitted it to anyone, but he kind of liked Linus. He was funny. But he didn't, he couldn't.  
He just sat there listening to everything and answering only when prompted. And when he made that reference to Ocean and the others that had better have "their affairs in order"... he was just pretending. Ocean knew and everyone else knew. If Terry had wanted them dead, they would be dead already. Everybody knew he wasn't serious. But, that was his act, and he had to keep playing.   
And he had to admit, they were quite smart. He wouldn't have known where to start. They kept joking and planning together, without doing any effort to include him in their conversation, except to make fun at him from time to time. But for some reason, he didn't mind. They had just finished, when somebody rang the doorbell. "Oh, the food is here", said Rusty, getting up to go to the main door. It looked like the meeting was officially over: everyone was getting up to get more drinks. In silence, Terry got up too, to gather his things and leave.  
He got closer to Danny. "So, Ocean... I'm going to leave. Keep me informed".  
Before Danny could answer, Rusty approached them, with a box of Chinese food that he handed over to Terry. "What, you're not staying to eat your food?" he asked.  
Terry looked at the box of food, perplexed. Rusty was waiting for him to take it, so he did just that. "It's for me?" he asked.  
"Yes," answered Danny. "We knew that you were going to be here when we were going to eat, so we put an order for you too. We know that you like chicken low mein, so... here it is".   
With that, everyone sat again to eat and drink. And again, everyone was joking without including Terry too much. But again, he didn't mind. He watched them squabbling and joking, Rusty and Danny talking without really talking, and generally everyone else having fun. Like if it was a normal night between friends, and not between thieves ready to do a complicated heist. Maybe, that was how it was to have friends. 


	2. A weird, weird night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not a missing moment, just an idea that I have. It takes place after Ocean's 13.

If there was something that Terry hated was to be bothered for things that weren't clear. Somebody wanted to talk to him, without saying why. Somebody else wanted to ask for a favor, without saying what it was. He was bothered because he couldn't just refuse. Maybe it was something that was really, really important. So, everytime, he felt forced to comply. Usually it was a matter of some time, just people that came to his office to speak with him, unannounced. But now, they were asking him to go somewhere else. At night. It wasn't really late, but... He vaguely knew the person on the phone. Jack Boyle was the chief of a small gang of thieves and criminals: Terry really didn't know what they might have wanted from him. But on the phone, he insisted that they had "something" that Terry would have wanted for himself, and he had to go and see in person. Fine, whatever. Terry decided to go by himself. The less people were present to witness whatever was going on, the better.   
He parked his black BMW in front of the address they had given him. It was a small house that looked abandoned, probably they were using it only for the moment, for whatever plan they had. He knocked on the door with his cane, and somebody immediately opened.  
"Ah, Terry, welcome". Benedict immediately stiffened: he didn't like when people that he didn't know, especially thieves, called him by his first name.   
"Boyle", said Benedict, as a greeting. He had recognized him. His gang had become popular recently, for a series of robberies and kidnappings.   
"We have something here that you might want.... or it's better to say someone".   
Terry stared at him. Someone? Had they kidnapped someone that he knew?   
"Someone?" he asked, frowning.  
"Yes. Come with me".   
Boyle brought him to another room. "Ta-daan!" Very theatrically, he opened a thick curtain: behind that, bruised, bloody and tied to a chair, there was... Caldwell. Linus Caldwell.  
Terry turned to look at Boyle, who was smiling like he was presenting him with a treasure. "What?" asked Terry, with a faint, threatening smile.  
"Linus Caldwell," pointed out uselessly Boyle. "A member of the gang of Danny Ocean".  
"Yes, I know who he is" answered Terry, impatiently. "And... what am I supposed to do with him?"  
"Well, we thought you might want to kill him yourself".  
Terry felt a headache forming. "Why?"  
Boyle's self confidence seemed to falter. "We... we know that you have a lot of bad blood with them. It's your chance to punish them. Even only one".  
"Mmm". Terry looked at Linus. He was very pale and clearly scared. "What are you going to do with him, if I don't want him?" asked Terry.  
"We have bad blood with them ourselves," started explaining Boyle. "We are planning to throw him in the Colorado River. It's very difficult that they will find his body, at least for a while. And it's better if people like him are not around anymore".  
"People like him, mmm?" asked absent-minded Benedict, looking again at Linus. Now Caldwell was watching him pleadingly.  
Terry turned away. "I assume that I will have to pay if I want him, right?" asked after a few seconds.  
"Yes," answered Boyle. "100.000 dollars".  
Pff. That amount of money was nothing for Terry. He probably was making it in a minute. He looked at Caldwell again. It looked like he was about to cry. Terry turned to Boyle. "Why not? I will take him".  
Boyle smiled. "Great".  
They quickly defined the terms for the payment, and then Boyle went to untie Linus, who grimaced for the pain. "Here, he's all yours".  
Linus tried to get up, but he failed. "I think we broke his leg," chuckled Boyle.  
"Great," answered Terry, rolling his eyes. "This will make it much easier to bring him to my car, thanks a lot".  
Boyle scoffed. "You could still kill him here. We have guns, or..."  
"No, that's fine". Terry got closer to Linus and helped him get up from the chair. Luckily, the car was parked just outside the door, or they wouldn't have been able to get there. None of Boyle's men helped them, and Linus was grunting and groaning for the pain, while he was heavily leaning on Terry. Without speaking, Terry leaned Linus against the car, opened the door, and helped him sit inside. Caldwell was smelling of sweat, dust and blood. Terry would have had to clean the car right after.   
Benedict drove away, faster than the speed limit. Both of them were quiet for a while, but after a few minutes, Linus found the strength to speak. "Are you... are you really going to kill me?"  
Terry didn't look at him. "What do you think?" he asked back.   
"I... I don't think you want to kill me".  
"Why not?"  
"Because... you're not a murderer.  
"Am I not?"  
"No. I mean... We did a lot of research about you, you know. Me and Danny, and Rusty. We couldn't find anything that suggested that you ever killed someone".  
"Mmm. Maybe I just kept it very well hidden".  
Linus looked uncertain. "Maybe. But also... You know everything about us too. I think you even know where we live. If you wanted me dead, you could have killed me years ago".  
Terry slowly nodded. "That is a good point".  
"Also... ah!" Terry turned briefly to look at Linus, who explained. "Sorry. My leg really hurts. But, I was saying..."  
"Where do I have to bring you?" asked Terry, interrupting him.  
Linus looked confused. "What?"  
"Where do I have to bring you, Caldwell? You're in Vegas, I'm assuming your little friends are with you. You were probably working on some...'job', hopefully not involving me. So, where do I have to bring you?"  
"Oh..." Benedict was right. Damn, they must have been really worried for him. "At Reuben's house".  
Terry rolled his eye. "Of course". Linus didn't have his cellphone anymore. He was about to ask Benedict if he could use his, just to call and tell them he was fine. But he decided against it. It was better not to push his luck, or Terry would have probably abandoned him in the middle of the street.

At Reuben's, everyone was incredibly worried and in pain for Linus. No one knew what to do. His phone was dead, there was no trace of him, and he should have been back hours before. Rusty was pale, and was calling everyone he knew that could know something. Danny was pacing back and forth, back and forth, almost incapable to think. It wasn't possible, there were no risks in the recognition job that Linus was doing. Rusty put down the phone again, sighing. "Nothing?" asked Reuben.  
Rusty just shook his head, unable to speak. Where was Linus?  
Suddenly, the camera on the front door activated itself, and on the monitor appeared the image of a black BMW that was stopping right there."It's Benedict's car," said Reuben, frowning.  
"Benedict?" asked Danny, getting closer. Right in that moment, the driver's door opened and Terry in person got out of the car.  
"Look," said Rusty, pointing at the monitor. "Someone is in the other seat".   
Terry was opening the passenger's seat. "It's Linus," said Danny, incredulous.   
Their friend's face was bruised, someone had beaten him up. Danny ran to the door, followed by the others. "I can't believe it!" Anger was radiating from his body, and Rusty and Reuben almost couldn't keep up with him.   
Danny violently opened the front door right while Terry was trying to help Linus out: he grabbed him and slammed him against the back door of the car.  
"What did you do to him?!" he shouted.  
"Danny, stop! He didn't do anything, leave him!" screamed Linus, still sitting in the car.   
At those words, Danny let go of Terry's shirt, taking a step back, but still looking at him in disgust.  
"He's right, you know", said Terry, in his usual, mellifluous voice. "I didn't touch him".   
"What happened?" asked Rusty, putting a hand on Linus' shoulder and gently squeezing it.   
"Boyle and his men kidnapped me. Terry saved me", explained Linus, almost in a whisper.  
Danny turned to look at Benedict, who smiled. "And what you were doing, while I was saving your friend?"  
Danny tightened his lips and Rusty, anticipating a fight, called his friend: "Help me, Danny. We need to bring Linus inside".  
"He has a broken leg," explained Terry, while Danny was moving away from him.   
He could have left at that point: his presence wasn't required anymore. But he decided to follow them inside, while they were carrying Linus, and he couldn't explain why. Anyway, no one questioned him or asked him to leave. Danny and Rusty gently put Linus on a comfy armchair, while Reuben was calling the doctor.   
"What happened?" asked Rusty, looking alternatively at Linus and at Terry.  
Terry sat on a chair, letting Linus starting. "I... I don't know. I was doing that casing, while someone grabbed me from behind. I swear I didn't see them. I didn't even know who they were. But they started talking about how they hated you, Danny... and they could have punished you by killing me".  
At this point, Danny was fuming. He was pale and was pacing around, clearly ready to act. But Linus kept speaking."Then... one of the men said something about Terry. He said that he might have wanted to pay for... for having me".  
"For having you?" frowned Rusty.  
"To kill him myself," explained Benedict. Everybody turned to look at him, and Terry kept speaking. "I received a call from a number that I didn't know, on my personal phone. That now I will need to change, by the way. I answered, and it was Booyle, who told me that he had an offer for me. He didn't say what it was, but asked me to go alone to a certain address".  
"And of course you complied", said Danny, in an accusing voice.  
Terry looked at him. "And you should be happy I did, because there I found your friend Linus tied up to a chair and Boyle who told me that I could pay to have the honor of killing him myself. Apparently they knew about the Benedict job, as you call it. Or anyway, they knew that I could have a reason for wanting Linus dead".  
"Did you have to pay?" asked Rusty.  
"Yes. 100.000 dollars".  
For a moment, they were all silent, then Linus spoke again. "They clearly said that if Terry refused to pay and to take me, they would have throw me in the river. So, he paid them, saying that he was... happy to kill me. And then... he brought me here".   
At that point, Danny left the room without another word. He came back after a minute, holding what looked like a checkbook.  
"Here", he said, getting closer to Terry and tearing up a check from the book. "Here is your money back, Benedict".   
Terry looked Danny for a long moment, then he took the check from his hand, getting up from the chair. "You know, Ocean," he started talking. "You can keep you money. I don't need it".  
With that, he crumbled the check in his hand, and threw it at Danny's face. Before anyone could react, Terry left the room. The front door camera activated itself again, and they could see the black BMW that was leaving.   
"What was that?" asked Linus, bewildered.  
Danny shrugged. "Just Benedict being Benedict, I guess".  
"No, I was talking about you!" retorted Linus. "Why you had to treat him like that?"  
Danny looked surprised. "Like what?"  
"Like... this!"  
"I only gave him back his money".  
"He didn't ask for it!"  
"What...?" Danny looked at Rusty, searching for support. But his best friend was watching him with a critical expression on his face. "Linus is right, you know. Benedict saved his life. You treated him like shit".  
Danny spread his arms. "I didn't do anything".  
"Exactly. You could have at least thanked him, instead of just throwing the money in his face".  
"Well... _he_ threw the money in _my_ face".  
"You know what I mean. You almost looked angry that he brought Linus back to us".  
Now Danny seemed exasperated. "You know that I didn't... and why you didn't thank him, eh?"  
"You didn't give me the time! What was that hurry with the check? We didn't even offered him... I don't know, something to drink".  
"Look, I..."  
"Stop it!" said at the end Linus. "I'm tired, okay? I want to go to bed after the doctor comes. My head hurts and I don't feel well. We'll talk about it tomorrow".  
Danny stopped talking, but he couldn't fail to notice how Linus seemed mad at him.   
"I... I was just upset for what happened to you".  
"It's fine, don't worry," said Linus, without looking at him. With a last reproachful glance at Danny, Rusty got closer to Linus, to apply some ice to one of his bruise. 

Terry was sitting at his desk, trying to get some work done. It was almost lunch time, and the night before he hadn't been able to rest well. He was still upset for what had happened with Ocean and his friends. For once, he had tried to be nice, and that was how he got repaid. Good to know, he would have remembered it for next time. But he was hoping that there was not going to be a next time concerning Ocean.   
Right in that moment, like he had called for it, the phone on his desk started ringing, and his secretary announced that a Mr. Danny Ocean was there, asking to see him.  
Terry sighed. Unbelievable. "Let him in, thanks".   
Danny entered in Terry's office with a serious expression on his face, and Benedict didn't even look at him. He kept writing.   
"Good morning, Terry," said Danny after a while.  
"Good morning," answered Terry, still without looking at him.  
A moment of uncomfortable silence. "May I sit?"  
Terry gestured towards the seat in front of him. "Sure".  
"Look, Terry, I... came to apologize for last night".  
For the first time, Benedict raised his head to look at the man in front of him. He didn't answer, though, and Danny kept talking. "Linus had disappeared for hours. His phone was dead, there was no way to trace him... it was clear that something had happened to him, but we didn't know what. It was a very long evening. And at that point I expected almost everything except to see him coming home full of bruises and in your BMW. I don't know, I guess... I had experienced too many emotions in the hourse before, and I wasn't capable of reacting nicely. I was the one who sent Linus on that recognition job. It was supposed to be easy, but... and then I wasn't capable of helping him, and you were".  
Danny sighed.  
Terry was still silent, but at least now he was looking at him."I'm sorry, I really am. I shouldn't have treated you like that. I was too... upset to think. But you saved Linus and I can't thank you enough for this. I will always owe you".  
Terry's expression seemed less cold now, and Danny was waiting to see if he had accepted his apology, or if he was about to kick him out his office. "I understand," said Terry after a while. "I don't know if I really understand, actually. But I know the feeling of being helpless while a person that we care about is in danger".  
Danny must have had put on a perplexed face, because Terry explained: "I'm not completely cold hearted, you know. I too have people that I love".  
"I... didn't mean..."  
"Whatever. Anyway, I understand and I accept your apology".  
Danny was clearly relieved, and this surprised Terry. He didn't think that Ocean cared about his feelings.  
Before he culd comment with a snide remark, Ocean spoke again. "Thank you for that. And about the money... I didn't mean to insult you, but it's true that you accepted to pay to save Linus, and you didn't have to. I really wanted to give your money back, without meaning any disrespect".  
Terry sat in silence for a while. "I only paid 100 thousand dollars. You know how much it is for me? Nothing. It's like 5 dollars for any other person. Would you refuse to pay 5 dollars, if by paying you could save someone's life? Even if that person was someone as annoying as Linus Caldwell?"  
Danny smirked. "No, I wouldn't refuse to pay".  
"See?" Terry spread his arms. "No, I don't need my 5 dollars back".  
"Thanks. But I will always owe you. If you need anything..."  
"Careful, Ocean. That's dangerous," answered Terry, with his classic half smile.   
"Maybe. But... I will be available only after I will have punished Boyle and his gang".  
"Don't worry about that. They were so stupid to accept a check".  
"Really?"  
"Yes. So now the police is working on it. I'm sure they will be able to trap them somehow".  
Danny smiled openly. "I can't believe it. I have another thing to thank you for".  
"It was a pleasure. I don't want those people around anymore than you do. I can't believe there are some people so stupid and so dangerous at the same time".  
Danny smiled. "In this kind of job often stupid people are also dangerous".  
Terry nodded. "I think this is true for every kind of job".   
Danny didn't answer. For a while, they just sat there. Then, Terry said: "I was about to get some coffe. Would you like to join me?"  
Ocean looked at him. "Sure, why not?"


	3. Terry really needs to stop drinking

It wasn't very late, but Danny was about to go to bed. Tess wasn't home, she had to leave to go to a conference in Boston, so he had the house to himself for a few days.  
He had decided to finally catch up with the house works that he kept pushing forward, like tidying up the garage, working on his car, putting together some new shelves he had bought a couple of weeks before.  
So now he was tired, and was putting on his pajamas at 9pm.  
Suddenly, his phone started ringing. He thought it was Tess saying goodnight, but when he saw the name of the person that was calling, he frowned. What did Benedict want from him, now?   
They had not spoken in more than two months, when Danny had left Terry's office after telling him that he had donated all his money to charity.   
"Hello? Terry?"  
"Hi, Danny! How are you?"  
The voice of the tycoon was slurred. "I'm... fine, thanks. And you?"  
"I'm perfectly fine".  
Danny frowned. "Have you been drinking?"  
Terry chuckled. "Yes. I'm drunk".   
Danny was honestly surprised. Terry didn't strike him like someone who liked to drink. Especially because he was such a control freak that it wasn't like him to let himself go like that.  
"Okay," he said after a moment. "Do you need something from me?"  
"I only wanted to thank you, Danny".  
Danny frowned. "Thank me? For what?"  
"For donating my share of the money. I went to visit the kids at the camp, you know. It was great. I loved it!"  
...What? Was that person the real Terry Benedict?  
"I'm... glad to hear it".  
"I would never have thought of it myself, but I had a lot of benefits from that. I will have to pay much less taxes than before, and I had a huge popularity boost. Did you see me on Oprah?"  
Danny sighed. "Yes, I saw you on Oprah". And on Jimmy Kimmel, and on Ellen, and on everything else. Honestly, Terry had been good at turning what they did to him in his favor.   
Benedict chuckled again. "See? But most important, I had fun".  
"Fun?"  
"Yes, fun. Like I never had before. I never worked on a heist, and it was great".  
Okay, now Danny was definitely confused. But Terry was still speaking."Even if at the end my own heist against you didn't work, so..." another drunk chuckle.   
"Why didn't you tell us that the diamonds were for you in the first place, Terry?"  
"Because they weren't, at first. I thought about it later. But at the beginning it was really only to make him lose what he loved the most".  
"Well... Bank may be a piece of work, but I think that he loves his children more than the diamonds".  
"Ohhh, you're right! His children! I..."  
"No, no! Don't do anything to the children, Terry!" Damn.   
Benedict laughed, hard. "You're so funny. You know I would never hurt the children".  
Danny sighed, relieved.   
Then, Terry's voice became serious. "I'm not a murderer, Danny".  
"Oh, good to know. Because your friend Toulour pointed a gun at Linus, you know".  
"Yes. An unloaded gun".  
"And you threatened us with death multiple times".  
"Yes. I threatened you. Has someone been killed by me?"  
"No," admitted Danny.  
"I know where you live, Ocean. Believe me, if I wanted you dead, you will be".  
Danny felt a shiver down his spine. Benedict could be scary if he wanted to, even in his drunken version.  
"Anyway, I only wanted to thank you. If you ever need me again, I will gladly collaborate. And I promise not to involve anyone else, this time".  
Danny shook his head. "Sure. I'll keep that in mind".  
"Now I'm leaving, I have to get some rest because tomorrow I'll go away for a few days with my girlfriend".  
Danny felt his eyes going wide open. "Girlfriend?"  
"Oh, I didn't tell you. Yes, her name is Liz and she works for the charity to with you donated the money in my name. I met her thanks to that, and we liked each other immediately. I guess I have another thing to thank you for".  
"I... I'm happy for you, Terry. Really".  
"Thanks. Say hello to Tess for me. Bye!"  
Without another word, Benedict closed the phone call, and Danny stayed still for a while, looking at the phone in his hand. That had been... weird. Drunk Terry was incredibly different from classic Terry. He was almost pleasant. But maybe it was the fact that now he seemed happier.  
Danny was still thinking, when he was startled by the ringtone of his phone, that was still holding in his hand. Rusty.  
"Hey, Russ!"  
Rusty laughed. "Danny, you can't believe who just called me".  
Danny rolled his eyes. "Let me guess. Benedict?"  
"Yes. How... did he call you too?"  
"Mmm mmm".  
Rusty laughed again. "Did he tell you about his girlfriend?"  
"Yes. Liz".  
"And he told me he wants to participate in another job".  
"He told the same to me. It looks like he had fun with us".  
"Well, I'm not surprised. His life looks so boring".  
"Yes, well, he's just..."  
"Wait, I have another call coming. It's Linus".  
"Of course. Take it, I'm sure Benedict called him too".  
"Yep".  
And as Danny had predicted, the text that Rusty sent him a few minutes later confirmed that Benedict had just called Linus too. Danny sighed, smiling. Terry really needed to stop drinking. 


	4. A young girl in a bar

He was in one of the sketchiest bars in Vegas. He didn't know exactly how he ended up there; he only knew that a couple of years before it was a normal bar. Now it was... weird. He was about to leave, when he saw a girl sitting alone at one of the small round tables. She was young, very young. Definitely a minor. He wondered what a teenager was doing in a place like that at that time in the night, when something about her struck him. He felt like he had already seen her, somewhere... But of course. She had been on some newspaper not so long ago. There was definitely something wrong. Instead of leaving the bar, he decided to go talk to her. 

She was very uncomfortable. That place was incredibly sketchy. She didn't know it, or she wouldn't have accepted the invite of the guy she had met online. Or maybe yes. Then, she noticed something else: a guy was looking at her. He was a man in his forties, or fifties... Damn. Okay, going there had been a mistake. Not only the boy hadn't showed up; but now that old pervert was coming towards her.

"Hi," he said, with a smile. He didn't try to sit at her table, which she appreciated. "Are you Terry Benedict's kid?"  
She scoffed. "Terry is not my father. He is just fostering me".  
The guy looked at her for a second. "You're right. Let me rephrase that: are you Terry Benedict's foster kid?"  
She rolled her eyes. Of course, everybody in Vegas knew Terry. "Yes. And who are you?"  
"I'm... an old friend of Terry. My name is Danny Ocean".  
She frowned. "He never talked about you".  
"Yeah, well... we don't keep in touch very often. But we had our moments. And your name is Caroline, right?"  
"Yes," admitted her, without a smile, with the same hard expression on her face.  
"May I ask you what are you doing in a place like this?"  
"And why do you care?"  
Danny shrugged. "Just making conversation".  
"I'm waiting for my boyfriend".  
"Oh, your boyfriend. Okay. How old are you?"  
"Fifteen".  
Danny sighed. She had her bleached blonde hair parted in two braids, showing just a little bit of brown roots. She was wearing a grey sweatshirt with a hood, blue jeans and tennis shoes. Her black nailpolish looked old and was peeling off. She had put on a lot of gray eyeshadow in order to look older, but it was clear to everybody who had eyes that she couldn't have been twenty one years old. But of course, in a place like that they didn't care.  
"What are you looking at?" she challenged him. "I'm not too young to have a boyfriend".  
"No, no, of course not. But you're too young to be here. Definitely too young".  
"I have a fake ID".  
Danny smiled. "Of course. Look... Does Terry know that you're here?"  
The girl half laughed, bitterly. "Of course not. But I'm sure he didn't even notice. He doesn't care".  
"Oh, okay. But you know, even if you two had a fight, it doesn't mean that he..."  
"We didn't have a fight", the girl interrupted him. "I wanted to leave, and I left".  
"Mmm. And you think Terry didn't notice?"  
"Of course not. He is just like the others. He doesn't care about me or my brothers".  
"And you know that because..."  
"I just know, okay? Me and my little brothers have been in the system for years, we changed a lot of foster homes. No one kept us. Terry is the same, he's just doing it for the tax benefit".  
Danny looked at her. "Listen, me and Terry had our problems in the past... but you must have noticed how rich he is. I really don't think he needs the tax benefit from fostering three kids".  
The girl shrugged, and Danny kept talking. "And I really don't think he didn't notice you're not home, at this time of the night. Besides, where is this boyfriend of yours?"  
Caroline now looked sad and uncertain. "I don't know".  
"Why don't you call him?"  
"I don't have my phone with me. I didn't want Terry to call me. And I don't even have his number anyway".  
Danny looked at her. "You don't have the number of your boyfriend?"  
"Well, yes... he's not... Look, he's someone I met in a chat online a few hours ago".  
"Oh. Okay". Damn. "Well, if you need to talk to Terry, I still have his number".  
"I said I don't want to talk to him".  
Danny tried to think, fast. He needed to make this girl trust him, so that he could convince her to go with him. "Well, I understand that. He can be very difficult to talk to. I could tell you some stories that..."  
Caroline frowned. "Like what? You said you and Terry had problems in the past".  
Bingo. "Yes. May I sit?"  
"Sure".  
"Thanks". Danny sat in front of her, and then started talking again. "He dated my wife years ago".  
Caroline opened her eyes wide, and then laughed. "Oh, that's juicy!"  
Danny smiled. "Yes. Well, she was my ex wife, when he was with her. But... Let's say, I found a way to get her back".  
"Oh, Terry must have been really mad. It's amazing you are still friends".  
"Yes. He was, for a while. But... We kept in contact, mostly for work reasons. You know, I convinced him later to donate some money to that charity that was taking care of you and your brothers".  
"Really?" Caroline looked doubtful.   
"Really. He was different then. He didn't care for charity much. But then I... well, let's say I convinced him. And I am not totally sure, but I think that's when he met you and your brothers".  
Caroline lowered her eyes on the table. "Yes, he was... visiting the camp".  
"See? Believe me, Terry doesn't do anything that he doesn't want to do. If he decided to foster you, it means that he wanted you".  
Caroline looked at him for a long moment, without speaking. It was time for phase two."Listen, it's getting late. Why don't I bring you home? Terry must be worried, and your brothers too".  
Caroline looked at him, still doubtful."I'm not leaving with someone that I don't know".  
Danny thought for a second. "You're right, you shouldn't. But remember that you came here to meet a guy that you met on a chat online. He could have been a kidnapper, or a criminal". Well, there was no reason for her to know that she had actually met a criminal, in a way.   
"Yes, well... I'm still not coming with you".  
"Okay. I'll tell you what: I'll stop a cab. We can go with a cab, not with my car. And I will tell the cab driver the address of Terry's house, so that you can hear it too. I'll send him a text now, so that you can see that I'm actually texting him, and I will tell him that you are with me and that we are coming home together. I can't hurt you after telling your foster dad that we are together, right?"  
Caroline shrugged. "I guess".  
"Good". Danny took his phone from his jacket, and opened the rubric. "So, the number that I have for Terry is 702-285653. Is that correct?"  
"Yes, it's his number".  
"Good. I'm texting him now".  
He showed the girl the text that he had just sent: _Terry, it's Danny Ocean. Caroline is with me. I'm bringing her home now, don't worry. We should be there in half an hour._  
Right when he was showing Caroline the text, he received the angry answer from Terry. _What the fuck, Ocean??!!_  
The girl laughed again. "Yes, that's him".  
Danny smiled. "Okay. Then let's go get a cab".

In the cab, Danny's phone started ringing. It was Terry, of course. Danny answered, and Caroline gestured that she didn't want to talk to him. She could only hear that Danny was telling Terry that she was fine, he had found her in a bar and was bringing her home. When he hung up, Danny looked at the girl. "It doesn't look like he doesn't care, to me".  
Caroline didn't answer.   
They arrived at Terry's villa, and Danny paid the cab driver, while the girl was slowly walking towards the entrance, with her hands in her pockets. Danny followed her, and even before they could ring the bell, the door went wide open.  
"Where the hell have you been!?" yelled Terry, stepping aside so that both her and Danny could enter.  
"Look, I didn't..." started explaining Caroline.  
"You didn't what? You didn't think? Because that is very clear to me!"  
"Terry, I can explain..."  
"I don't need you to explain. You have no permission to be out at this time of the night, definitely not in a bar! You're grounded, for two months!"  
Caroline opened her mouth, surprised. "Two months??!"  
"Do you want to make three?" retorted Benedict.   
"You are not my dad!" screamed the girl, that looked about to cry.  
"No, I'm not! But you're in my care, and I make the rules now! I don't care if somewhere else you could do whatever you wanted, you will not do it here! So for two months you only go to school and then you come back home. Internet only for the homework, and no phone unless you ask first! Is that clear?"  
"You're exaggerating!" Caroline threw her arms to the sky, in a pretty dramatic gesture that made Danny smile.  
"No, I'm not! You left at 10pm, without telling me where you were going, without even bringing your phone with you! Do you have any idea how worried I was? And your brothers? I had to lie to them, and tell them you were at a friend's house, or they wouldn't have been able to sleep! You need to learn how to be responsible, Caroline! You want me to treat you as an adult? Then act like it! And if I have to ground you forever to teach you that actions have consequences, so be it!"  
The girl was looking at him, stunned. "I hate you!" she screamed at the end.  
"I don't care! You're still grounded! And now go to bed, it's past midnight!"  
With another angry glance at Terry, Caroline left, stomping up the stairs.  
For a long moment, there was silence. Terry brought a hand to his face, lowering his eyes to the ground, defeated.  
"That was great," said Danny; and Terry turned to look at him, surprised, like he was seeing him for the first time."Ocean, look, I..."  
"No, no, I mean it. You did great. That was exactly what she needed".   
Terry shook his head, sighing. "Come to the kitchen with me".  
Danny followed him to the big kitchen, where Terry opened a cupboard that had a lock on, and took out from it a bottle of brandy with two glasses.  
"Thanks", said Danny, sitting on a stool.   
"Thanks to you," answered Terry. "I don't... I just don't understand. Thanks for bringing her home safe. She was in a bar, you said?"  
"Yes. And I don't mean to be a snitch, but there are a couple of things you should know. First, she has a fake ID".  
"Mmmm". Terry brought again a hand to his face.   
"Second, she said she was there to meet her boyfriend".  
Terry looked at him, confused. "She... doesn't have a boyfriend".  
"I know. But she told me that he was a guy, or someone anyway, that she had just met on a chat online".  
"What??" Terry almost yelled, stunned.  
"Exactly. She didn't even have his phone number. I had the impression she didn't even know his name".  
Now, Terry lowered his head on the marble counter, helpless. But he raised it almost immediately. "I don't... She has been like this since they arrived... She is sweet only with her brothers, but she challenges me everyday".  
"That's the point".  
"Uh?" Terry looked at him.  
"Look, of course I don't know anything about forster kids, and I don't know anything about what she must have experienced in her life. But I had the strong impression that Caroline was trying to challenge you, to see if you cared".  
Terry seemed confused. "If I didn't care, I wouldn't have took her in".  
"Yes, that might seem obvious for us. But from what I understood, she and her brothers changed different foster homes. She never experienced stability, and has the impression that adults just don't care. Plus, she probably feels very protective of her brothers, and needs to be sure about the people they live with".   
Terry was still looking at him, like digesting what Danny was saying. So, Danny kept talking.  
"What you did just now... I think it was exactly what she wanted. That's why she ran away in the first place: she wanted to see if you were going to notice that she wasn't home, and if you would have been angry about it. Or, if you just didn't care, like probably happened with other families".  
Terry was silent for a few seconds. He looked very tired. "It's sad," he said at some point. "It's sad that a kid has to feel that way".  
Danny nodded. "It is. But you are doing a great thing for those kids".  
Terry looked at him. "Wait here".  
Danny looked at Terry while he was leaving the kitchen, and he started sipping his brandy. It was a good one.  
Benedict came back with some papers in his hand, and he handed them to Danny, who took them and started reading the first one."Terry... these are adoption papers", he said, raising his eyes to look at the man in front of him.  
"Yes. I want to adopt Caroline. And her brothers, of course. Do you think it's enough proof that I care about them?"  
"Oh, Terry... she will be so happy".   
"I hope so. I was planning of talking with her tomorrow, if she won't be mad at me anymore".  
"I'm sure she won't be. She is smart. I only met her now for the first time of course, but I can see it already".  
Terry looked at him. "Smart like 'let's go and meet in a bar at 11pm a guy that I just met online that I don't know who he is'?"  
Danny smiled. "Yeah... I told you, she just wanted to be a rebel. But I had some trouble in convincing her to come with me".  
"How did you do it?"  
"I... told her some funny stories from our past. To show her that I really knew you".  
Terry frowned. "There are no 'funny stories' in our past, Ocean".  
Danny smiled again. "Actually, Caroline seemed to find really funny the fact that you were dating my ex wife for a while".  
"Of course she did. Cheeky brat". Terry shook his head, but he was smiling fondly, and Danny couldn't fail to notice it.  
"You look very happy. I mean, outburst excluded..."  
Benedict smiled again. "I am. And I have to thank you for that. If you hadn't donate that money in my name... I would have never met Caroline, Tommy and Jimmy".  
"How did it go?"  
"I went to the camp, following your donation. And there I spoke with different children. Their story struck me more than others. They were available to be fostered, so..."  
"This is great, Terry. It really is".  
"Thank you. It's all new to me, I've never been a father, or in charge of children anyway. So, sometimes I'm scared to do something wrong. But anyway, I would have never done a donation like that. So, it's thanks to you if I ended up being a foster parent".  
Danny was feeling a lot of emotions. After the Bank job, he never had other contacts with Terry, and now, six months later, he found him a different person.  
Definitely happier. Old Terry would have never spoken to him like that. Danny could only answer: "You're welcome".  
Terry was silent for a few second. "Another brandy?" He asked then.  
"Sure," said Danny. "But, honestly, two months it's maybe a little..."  
"Don't start, or I'll make it four".  
"Sorry, dad" :  
Both men smiled.


	5. A new happiness

Terry had never been so happy before. Never in his whole life he experienced such a feeling of total satisfaction. And it was thanks to Liz. When he had met her, a few weeks after the Bank job, he had liked her immediately. She was working for the charity to which Danny Ocean had made the donation in his name, and he had met her while organizing his visit to the camp. She was smart, witty, and full of life. After their first meeting, he had asked her out to dinner, to "talk more about the details". From the glance she had given him, he had thought she would have refused. Maybe he should have been more careful. But then, she had smiled, and had answered: "I will be honored". After that dinner, they had never left each other's side.   
After just a few months, the big surprise: Liz was pregnant. And that was the moment in which Terry knew that she was the woman of his life. He had never really wanted children: while he was ready to have them, in order to make a wife happy, he really didn't feel like he would have liked to be a father. Not even with Tess. But now, when she had told him the news, with an adorable expression that was happy, but also scared; he had felt that all he wanted was to have a family with her.  
He had hugged her and kissed her, incapable to speak.   
But the surprises weren't finished: the ultrasound had revealed that the babies were two. Twins. It was almost impossible: when Terry thought he couldn't be happier, something actually happened that proved him wrong. Terry wanted to marry Liz immediately, but she wanted a nice wedding, and wanted to organize it herself. So, they had decided to wait for the babies first: it would have been easier, instead of doing everything at the same time.  
And now, months later, he was entering the hospital to go visit his fiancee and his children, Thomas and Grace.  
The babies had been born a few days before, and soon them and Liz could have gone home. She had needed a c-section, so it was going to be a little longer. But everything was fine, and Terry already loved his babies with all his heart. The next day after the delivery, when the news had gone public, different gifts had started to arrive: cards, flowers, balloons, toys... everyone who knew Terry and Liz (meaning, a huge number of people) was sending something. That day wasn't different: when Terry entered in Liz's room, she welcomed him with a great smile. She was sitting on the bed, perusing the content of a giant carton box, decorated with puppies and kittens.   
"What's that?" asked Terry, surprised, handing Liz the coffee that he had bought her.   
"I don't know... somebody sent us all these things... look..."  
Terry looked into the box. It was full of toys, onesies in different colors, a box of chocolates (presumably, for the mother), and other things. Also a box of his favorite cigars. There were two teddy bears, one blue with "Thomas" embroidered on his plushy belly; and the other one was pink with the name "Grace".  
Terry frowned. Who sent all that stuff?  
"There was this card," said Liz, showing a big card with some bunnies on it. "It's signed by Danny, Rusty and Linus. Who are these people? You must know them very well".  
Terry looked at her, surprised. "What?" He took the card and read it.  
It was a simple card, with congratulations to both parents and a warm welcome to the babies. At the end, the three names he knew very well. Terry smirked.  
"Are they your friends? They seem to be nice people", asked again Liz.  
"Yes... uh... they are old friends of mine," answered Terry with a smile.  
"Oh. You never told me about them".  
Terry shrugged. "We don't speak very often. We all live in different states and don't have a lot of chances of seeing each other".   
"What a pity. Maybe you can invite them to visit us. I'm sure they would love to meet the babies in person".   
Terry looked at her. She was beautiful in her pajamas, sipping her coffee. "Sure. Why not?"  
"Actually... You should invite them to our wedding! I'm sure you were going to do that anyway, since they are old friends. I would love to meet them!" Liz smiled, taking one chocolate from the box.  
Terry smiled too. "I will invite them. Though they are... very busy people, I'm not sure they will come".

Instead, they came.  
At the reharsal dinner and before the ceremony there weren't a lot of chances to interact, for them. Terry and Liz had a lot of guests, and the wedding came out as a really nice one.  
During the reception, Rusty and Danny found the way to approach Terry.  
"Congratulations again, Terry," said Danny, shaking his hand.   
"Thanks," answered Benedict, incapable of not smiling.  
"Yes, congratulations," added Rusty, with a glass in the other hand. "Isobel and Tess loved the appetizers. I think we are already full, before the dinner".   
"You're never full," answer Danny, frowning at him.  
Terry turned to look at Linus. He was playing with the babies, as he had done almost every moment of the dinner, the ceremony and the reception, relieving Liz a little bit . "You don't think he will try to steal my kids, right?"  
"Maybe just one," answered Rusty. "I think he likes Grace more".  
"Mmm".  
"We'll keep an eye on him," smiled Danny. "Thank you for inviting us, Terry. We are happy to be here. Liz is very nice, and both of you look really happy with each other".  
Terry smiled again. The three of them turned again to look at Linus, who was making the twins laugh by pretending to throw them in the air.   
"They might puke on him," considered Terry.  
"Oh, I hope they will," answered Danny, looking in the same direction. 


	6. Sunday morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Terry doesn't really appear in this one shot. But he is at the center of the dialogue between Tess and Danny, that takes place right after Danny was released from prison after the end of Ocean's 11.

"May I ask you a question?"  
It was a sunny Sunday morning, and Danny and Tess were in bed together. They had all the day free, and they were laying there, in each other's arms, enjoying each other's company.   
Tess turned to look at her husband, who just got out of prison (again).  
"Yes, sure. Any question you want. We have years of questions to make up for".  
Danny smiled. It looked like he was hesitating, but then he blurted out: "Why you started dating Terry?"  
Tess rolled her eyes at him. "Danny..."  
"No, no, I mean it. I'm not trying to start a fight or anything..."  
"It would be our first fight since we got back together".  
"Right," smiled him again. "I'm just curious. Me and him are two very different people. And you fell in love with me and then with him. I don't know him, of course, but if you decided to be with him there must be a reason".  
Tess smiled. "You're right, he is very different from you. I think... that is why I fell in love with him after being your wife".  
Danny made a weird face. "Ohhh, ouch! Well..."  
Tess laughed. "No, silly! I didn't mean it like that! It's just... when you were arrested I was mad. Really mad. And sad. I think I wanted someone that was completely different from you. Someone that didn't represent a risk, I would say. And well, Terry is not really a risk, you know. I don't think I fell in love with him as a person... mostly with the safety and the total lack of excitement he represented".  
Danny was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry I put yout through all of that," he said at the end.  
Tess kissed him on the nose. "Don't worry. I already forgave you".  
"Was he nice with you? Did he treat you well?"  
Tess smiled. "Yes. He was nice and he treated me well. He wasn't nice like you, but..."  
Danny frowned. "What did he do?"  
"Nothing bad, don't worry. It's just.... he wasn't a romantic type. He liked spending time with me, and he was bringing me flowers, and he was always organizing those nice candlelight dinners... but I felt like something was missing. He was just a very pragmatic person, even in his love life. I appreciated that, but sometimes I would have liked a little more involvement. Work always came first. And he never wanted to kiss me or holding my hand in public. It made me crazy at first. I thought he was embarrassed of me..."  
"No-one would be embarrassed of you".  
Tess smiled again. "Thanks. It's true, he wasn't, or he would have left me. But I needed some time to understand that he was a really reserved person, who didn't like to show his emotions. That was another aspect of him that rubbed me the wrong way, probably".  
"How did you meet him?"  
"He hired me. He personally conducted my interview for the curator position. When I started, I noticed that he was coming to the museum every day, with different excuses. After a while, he asked me out. I have to say that he was very respectful. He made sure I wasn't feeling forced to accept because he was my employer. He made clear that I was free to refuse, and nothing would have happened. But I didn't want to refuse. I was intrigued by him. After our first date, he didn't even try to kiss me, which I liked. And then he asked me out again, the very next day. And then we started dating".  
Again, Danny was silent for a while. He was gently caressing Tess' arm, who was still looking at him. It was clear that he wanted to ask more questions.  
"Was he good in bed?" finally asked Danny, without looking at her.  
Tess laughed. "Danny! Are you really asking me this?"  
Danny blushed. "Well, I... yes".  
Tess laughed again, then her expression became serious. "I don't know. I never slept with him".  
Danny opened his eyes wide. "What? Really? But..."  
Tess laughed, hard, and Danny smiled, shaking his head.  
"To be a thief, you're so naive sometimes!" said Tess, still laughing, her eyes bright with amusement.  
"Ah ah," mocked her Danny, but he was smiling too. He loved to see her so happy.  
"No, seriously," answered Tess after a while. "Yes, he was good in bed. Honestly, he was. But not as good as you".  
"Well, of course. That wasn't up for a debate".  
Tess laughed again.


	7. An incredible request

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I imagined the moments before the scene in Ocean's Thirteen in which Danny, Rusty and Linus ask Terry to lend them the money for the drill.  
> I hope I was able to convey how I see their interesting relationship.

Terry was working, like everyday in the afternoon. He had a conference call, and now was reading some documents that needed his signature. He wasn't expecting anyone, but the phone on his desk buzzed, letting him know that his secretary wanted to speak to him.   
"Yes?" he answered.  
"Mister Benedict, there are three men here asking to speak with you. They say it's urgent. Their names are... Danny Ocean, Linus Caldwell, and Rusty Ryan".  
Terry was silent for a second. What...?  
"Mr Benedict?" promped his secretary.  
"Yes... Yes, let them enter. Thank you".  
Terry sighed, sitting back in his chair. He hadn't seen them in almost three years. What they wanted from him? He couldn't think of anything.   
Thirty seconds later, the door of his office was opened, and the three of them entered. They looked exactly the same as last time he saw them.  
Linus looked at him, offering him some kind of smile that was supposed to be friendly. Rusty had on his face his usual careless expression, and Danny was just looking at him, without trying to hide his contempt.  
Terry put on a forced smile, and gestured towards the chairs in frond of his big desk.  
"Gentlemen, please, have a seat".  
The only one who sat was Rusty: the other two just stopped in front of his desk.  
"It's not necessary," answered Danny. "This won't take long".  
Terry shrugged. "Okay, then. What can I do for you?"  
Danny and Linus looked at each other, with an uncertain look on their faces. Terry was honestly curious now.  
"We need money," said Rusty, suddenly.  
Terry couldn't help but opening his eyes wide. "You need money. From me".  
"Yes," confirmed Rusty, looking at him.  
"Oh. Well, at least this time you asked, instead of stealing".  
"See?" said again Rusty, with a smirk on his tanned face. "We are improving".   
Terry just looked at them. He didn't want to ask, but... money for what?  
Like he understood what he wanted to know, Linus spoke first. "We want to... ehm... help Reuben to get on his feet. I'm sure... you know what happened to him".  
Terry nodded. "Yes, I know. How is he?"  
Ocean looked at him like he wanted to ask 'why do you even care?'. Instead, what he said was: "He could be worse. But he could also be better, and that's why we are here. We think that, in order to make him better, we need to get even with Willy Bank. Again, I'm sure you know what he did to Reuben".  
Terry scoffed. "Of course I do. Everyone is talking about it. The thing is, Bank is famous for this kind of stunt. I'm surprised Reuben fell for it".  
"Are you saying it's Reuben's fault?" asked him Rusty, with a threatening tone of voice.  
"No," answered Terry, slowly. "What I'm saying is that it's not the first time that Bank acts like that. Why you think he has that crazy business deal with the other stakeholders? No one wanted to do business with him anymore. The only way he could find someone was to give them the majority of the shares".   
Danny and Linus exchanged a glance again. Rusty was still looking at him. Since no one was speaking, Terry decided to ask: "Anyway, why you need money from me? What this has to do with Bank and Reuben?"  
"Well..." started Ocean. "We need to buy a drill".  
Terry opened his eyes wide again. Were they making fun of him? "A drill?"  
"Yes. Not the kind of drill that you buy at Walmart, of course. The best way to get back at Bank is to destroy what he cares more about. His new hotel. As apparently you know, he has a deal with his partners that makes him vulnerable. Our plan is to make him lose a ton of money on opening night, so that he will be excluded by his own hotel. And he will lose... well, a ton of money".  
"And you want to do this with a drill?" asked Terry, suddenly intrigued.  
Rusty laughed a little. "We have a plan. A plan that is very elaborated, and involves a fake earthquake. The only way to create this earthquake is to use one of the drills that dug the Channel Tunnel".  
Now Terry had also his mouth open. What the...  
But he quickly recovered, not before noticing the smug expression of Ocean, who quickly exchanged a glance with Rusty.   
"It sounds elaborated alright," commented Terry, still incredulous.  
"Sorry if we can't say more at the moment," explained Danny. "We will tell you everything if you agree to finance the drill".   
Terry nodded, without looking at anyone in particular, trying quickly to think. He deeply despised Bank, and he liked to idea of ruining him. Honestly, that snake deserved it. And Terry had to admit: it sounded fun. He had no idea what they were planning with a drill and an earthquake, but he was definitely curious.   
"What do you say, Terry?" asked Danny after a few seconds, impatient.  
"I say that I'm interested, yes. It honestly sounds impossible from my point of view, but I know how you like complicated heists. And since you were able to move an entire building in Amesterdam, and to fool the Italian police in Rome... well, why not?"  
He noticed with a hint of satisfaction the alarmed and surprised glances between the three of them.  
"How do you know?" asked Linus, bewildered.  
Terry just shrugged. "Don't worry about that. I just know".  
"So, are you in?" asked Rusty.  
Terry decided to let them hanging for a few seconds more, and turned in his swiveling chair. He couldn't see them now, but he was sure they were annoyed. Good.  
Then, he turned again towards them, and started talking.  
"Number one: if any of you try to screw me, you'll be dead". 


End file.
